The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1887-03-03
spend thss last hours few ;; hours with

spend ths last hours few hours Will
ME. ,s.s.,..,..-.> .--ss -
When taken out. they had to seat
me in the outer guard room q quartz,
OF an hour, until. my eyes became &C
customed to the piercing glare of thu
sunshine.
Then they took mo TO-. theS-room
where found my friends and minis
ter.
Just outside-we could SEQ them
through the window-stood q special
detail Of twelve men, selected as the
unwilling executors of the sentenced
man Observation-Disclosures. .--.-,-...,..
Telling me I should have until the
last minute bsfore 8 o'clock, but then
would have to 60, the colonel locked
the door and left me with my friends
They had secured the privilege o.
spending these last few hours with mt
II knew to comfort and console, Dor
haps to strengthen me for the fearful
ordeal through which / had to pass
But had to comfort and console
them.
My father was broken down.: It
must be horrid strain on q fathers
feelings to sit and look at his son, in
the prime of manhood, and count of
the few Intervening moments of that
boys remaining lie.
Brothers and sisters could only gaze
at me in speechless misery, appalled,
by the gloomy shadow of death that
was then casting about me:
.lhad to become consider; and strain.
ed every power to smile. l would
not permit the man of God to offer
prayers, knowing his words would fall
upon loving ears as death walls, as
clods falling on my coffin. l drew
them by everything interesting could
think OF, to contemplate anything but
my impending doom.
AS l would about succeed the little
clock in the mantel would strike, or a
tootstep on the stair outside. or some
movements of the garrison, would re-
call them to the horrid present.
The little clock seemed to me in
these intervals to tick as loudly as
the chatter OF q mill: It struck the
half ho,rs as well as the full stroke
and it seemed to me its tiny hammer
STRUCK every five minutes. Ten! hall
past! Eleven! and q half! Twelve!
Half! One!
Heavens! How it licked off the Sec
onds, ealloped the minutes. and start,
led our ears with those half hours!
We were seated around the room,
close to each other as we could get
Father ON one side, mother on the
other, hand clasped by each, whell
step sounded without, q hand touch
ed the knob, the key turned in the
lock, the door was thrown open and
the colonel stood looking at us.
Instinctively jumped to my feet
side, a hand each upon my shoulder
How rapidly thought does it's Office
IN such emergencies!
My first thought was, their dining
hour approaches, and these officers
wish to get this unpleasant duty
through.
For q minute-it seemed eternity
and that the little clock had ceased
to tell off tnne-We stood, the colonel
and myself, silent, gazing sternly al
each other.
He evidently expected me to speak
But did not, could not.
At length he slowly drew from his
pocket slip Of paper, and saying
"Captain. l have just received this
telegram" read, while we gazed upon
him in strained, listening eagercess
The execution Of the sentence in the
case Of Cant. William F. Gordon is post
poned until further orders. By order Of
The PRESIDENT"
None of us spoke.
You can stay with your friends
till 3. Then yougo back to your cell. .
he said. closed the door and left Us
hurriedly.
Father drew a long, trembling sigh
and sank slowly to the floor. where
mother had already fallen. Theil
support gone, the sudden, UNLOCKED
for lifting OF the cloud of death. the
rush OF relief from the horrid night
mare, caused quick revulsion OF feel
ing that made me limp as a rag, weak
as dying babe. And l too, sank be
tween my parents.
The minister said something I did
not hear, brothers and sisters knelt
around us, and l heard the preacher
pouring out a prayer ofgratitude that
the dark shadow of death had passed
by, leaving the light of life.
My sentence of death was commut
ed to Imprisonment and labor during
the war.
But it WAS life!